Looking for a good Double Din?

[mannyahles 10+ year member]

I have spoken with a quite a few owners and installers and overall they have said that Kenwoods have too many problems. I am sure that the high end Kenwoods are better but they should be for $1000+. I have owned quite a few Clarion products and I have had really good luck with them over the past 10 years. Therefore, I ordered my CLarion DVD MAX685BT and hopefully it should be waiting for me when I get home this evening!

 

[MrDave 10+ year member]

Not sure about the Kenwood's problems. The amps, maybe. As far as the double din units I've only installed the high end ones. Haven't had a problem, but, that's the way it goes sometimes.

The MAX685BT isn't for the audiophile by any means.

 

[Crutch 10+ year member]

I don't care about dvd/touch-screen, etc...all I want is a no-frills DD with at least 2 pre-amps....anyone know of one like this??

 

[mannyahles 10+ year member]

I don't care about dvd/touch-screen, etc...all I want is a no-frills DD with at least 2 pre-amps....anyone know of one like this??

Go to clarion.com and look at their DD. They have a few reliable choices.

 

[mannyahles 10+ year member]

Not sure about the Kenwood's problems. The amps, maybe. As far as the double din units I've only installed the high end ones. Haven't had a problem, but, that's the way it goes sometimes.
The MAX685BT isn't for the audiophile by any means.

My friend used to work for Tweeter until they went out of business. He said to stay away from Kenwood because they had more problems with Kenwood than all the other lines put together.

As for audiophile. Kenwood has 2 new DVD players 812 and 8120 (Nav).

The 812 doesnt have any more eq controls that the Clarion. Now, the 8120 does have quite a bit more eq control but with a retail price of $1300 is it worth it? Not for me. Therefore, I believe most ears will not be able to hear any difference between a Kenwood 812 and a Clarion Max685BT. The only difference felt would be the thickness of your wallet. This is just my opinion!

I should mention the Clarion does have 24 bit D/A

 

[helotr3vor 10+ year member]

What do you guys think about the clarion MAX685BT

 

[mannyahles 10+ year member]

I was thinking...I know...scary.

But if any one is a true audiophile I don't think they would be buying a DVD player with monitor. They would be looking into a single din Alpine or similar that has a lot of Eq control for the best SQ possible.

 

[mannyahles 10+ year member]

What do you guys think about the clarion MAX685BT

For the money I like the product. I ordered one and hope it is sitting at home when I get there today. The BT works well and the monitor looks great. I have a few amps that have HPF and LPF so I will be using the crossovers on the amps for EQ. The price can not be beat for a quality product. Clarion isn't known for having the VERY best SQ but I know first hand that Clarion is very reliable.

I bought my MAX685BT thru sonicelectronix.com but you can get it even cheaper thru Ebay.

 

[helotr3vor 10+ year member]

well im just stuck too choosing a double din. its like there is so many options but none of them are good

 

[helotr3vor 10+ year member]

Im kinda liking the Clarion MAX675VD's interface i was just watching a couple videos

 

[mannyahles 10+ year member]

well im just stuck too choosing a double din. its like there is so many options but none of them are good

There are plenty "good" ones out there. Alpine is "good" but expensive. Typically, different makers High-Line are quality products. You need to decide what your budget is and go from there. I feel paying $600 for a reliable DD is a fair price.

 

[helotr3vor 10+ year member]

There are plenty "good" ones out there. Alpine is "good" but expensive. Typically, different makers High-Line are quality products. You need to decide what your budget is and go from there. I feel paying $600 for a reliable DD is a fair price.

Yeah me too.

 

[mannyahles 10+ year member]

Im kinda liking the Clarion MAX675VD's interface i was just watching a couple videos

I like the Max685BT because Bluetooth is built in. And you live in Cali too so the law requires it July 1st! Plus, Sonic Electronix is in Valencia, Ca so you could probably drive over and pick it up! lol

 

[MrDave 10+ year member]

My friend used to work for Tweeter until they went out of business. He said to stay away from Kenwood because they had more problems with Kenwood than all the other lines put together.
As for audiophile. Kenwood has 2 new DVD players 812 and 8120 (Nav).

The 812 doesnt have any more eq controls that the Clarion. Now, the 8120 does have quite a bit more eq control but with a retail price of $1300 is it worth it? Not for me. Therefore, I believe most ears will not be able to hear any difference between a Kenwood 812 and a Clarion Max685BT. The only difference felt would be the thickness of your wallet. This is just my opinion!

I should mention the Clarion does have 24 bit D/A

The Kenwood also has 24 bit d/a. Of course it would. Like I said, myself, and many others, have had no problems with Kenwood's. I've ran a 8017 for two years without a hiccup. It's just one of those things where some folks have had troubles, and others have had great experiences. I could say all the audio heads who recommend the Kenwood double dins, but it really doesn't matter. I'm going from my personal experience.

In terms of features and audio quality, Kenwood makes the best unit. I've had and played with all these units. The thing that always set the Kenwood apart was the higher preamp. The music and bass was much more crisp.

Either way, that's all irrelevant. I'm not recommending to get a Kenwood. They are too pricey.

I'm not sure how the JVC avx810 is, but judging by the 800, it should be a strong unit. Granted, you would have to buy the bluetooth adapter for it for say $140. In the 800, bluetooth wasn't that great.

 

[helotr3vor 10+ year member]

bump